One of the most remarkable, relevant components of history, is its tendency to shift our consideration beyond solely the past. As we attempt to paint a picture of the ancient world using the fragmentary evidence that has been left behind, we unavoidably, perhaps subconsciously compare it to the world in which we live. Juxtaposing modern and bygone societies, we are able to reflect upon their similarities and differences. In doing just this while studying Classical art of the female body, I found one common thread between ancient and modern depictions of women particularly thought-provoking. Within the realms of ancient and contemporary media, although in different forms and serving different purposes, lies a shared theme of celebrating the female figure in a natural, unfiltered, fairly ordinary form.

The depiction of women as healthy, robust, and fuller figured is a clear pattern in Classical sculpture; the ancient Greek world commemorated goddesses through the art of nude sculpture, which mimicked the body of the average, healthy woman — stomach pudge, thighs that touch, love handles and all. How beautiful it is to notice art not only imitating life, but glorifying the features that contemporary media had, until recently, failed to celebrate as those worthy of a goddess. The elements of the female body that were for many years ridiculed as flaws look different carved in stone, where they represent the imagined perfect form of the divine.

In attempting to unearth the ancient mindset and consider why artists chose to portray the female figure in such a way, we can only estimate. But in my opinion, I simply believe that body type perhaps wasn’t something people fussed over the way we fuss today. It seems to me that in antiquity, so long as a woman were healthy and fertile, it didn’t matter the size of her peplos, nor whether her stomach formed rolls when she sat down, nor if her thighs could touch. The ancient women we have come to know through sculpture are goddesses, the only female figures to be depicted in the nude, who likely had more pressing concerns than their approximate body fat percentages. They had a world to run, and their place in ancient society is far more interesting than what they look like naked. Only now have we begun to discuss and acknowledge that more should be expected of women than their ability to crunch and squat away the soft bellies and thighs once celebrated by ancient sculpture; only now have we begun to transcend the preoccupation with being unreasonably thin and moved towards being whole, happy, and strong instead. Perhaps some bit of the ancient mindset has been recycled as we get back to the basics; perhaps the notion of prioritising health and happiness over a social pressure to look a certain way has unknowingly has seeped back into our collective consciousness.

Upon noticing the more inclusive depiction of women in ancient media, the current social movement of celebrating all body types is an intriguing parallel. The tendency in past decades to showcase mainly thin or underweight female forms as the only accepted social norm, failing to include other body types, seems to have been recently turned on its head. Contemporary models, similar to the divine subjects of ancient sculpture, are finally being posed in a way that accentuates the physical features that would have, a decade or two ago, been deemed too absurd to advertise. With the body positivity movement in full swing, it is truly empowering to observe how fashion, the arts and marketing alike are all shifting to a more inclusive depiction of women in a variety of shapes and sizes. It’s fascinating to examine and compare ancient sculptures against these modern advertisements and campaigns; the two vastly different forms of media are alike in the sense that they celebrate a range of silhouettes, thus rendering relatable and empowering to any woman, no matter her figure. At last, modern media and publications have begun to adopt an approach of depicting women in their actual form, without excluding stretch marks or cellulite. Previous obsession with hiring the thinnest of models, photoshopping to perfection and showcasing only one generally unattainable body type as a social ideal is finally being replaced by positive messages and a more inclusive concept of beauty.

It is incredibly important to applaud the progress that has been made toward a more inclusive concept of body image in the contemporary world — surely there is still so much to be done, but the steps that have already been taken toward the development of a more inclusive depiction of beautiful, strong, healthy women are undoubtedly deserving of recognition and praise. We must acknowledge and encourage this link between our modern world and the fascinating classical one in order to keep the celebration of the natural female figure alive, and to encourage the inclusion of all body types in campaigns that aim to lift women up. Long may they live, for they honour the female body, in any form, as that of a goddess.